Loading mechanism for tractors



Feb. 10, 1953 J. CHAVES LOADING MECHANISM FOR TRACTORS Filed Sept. 29, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l Joseph G/zaves INVENTOR.

BY QM Feb. 10, 1953 Filed Sept. 29, 1948 Fig.8.

J. CHAVES LOADING MECHANISM FOR TRACTORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

l 0 Joseph Chaves v Feb. 10, 1953 J. CHAVES 2,627,989 LOADING MECHANISM FOR TRACTORS Filed Sept. 29, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Joseph Chaves INVENTOR. 1; BY

m M/m Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOADING MECHANISM FOR TnAoroRs Joseph Chaves, Newport, RI. I Application September 29, 1948, Serial No. 51,705

, 3 Claims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in loading mechanisms for use on tractors.

By way of explanation: with present day loading mechanisms of tractors in which a scoop or a fork is loaded by being pushed into the material by the tractor, it frequently becomes impossible to adequately load the scoop or fork because, before the scoop or fork becomes loaded, the resistance opposed to travel of the tractor causes the traction wheels of the tractor to spin and lose traction or stall.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object of my invention to provide in such mechanisms for adequately loading a scoop or a fork by power propulsion of the same independently of travel of the tractor so that the scoop may be loaded regardless of loss of traction or stalling by the tractor in forward travel thereof.

Another object is to provide a mechanism of the character and for the purposes above indicated which is adapted for attachment to standard tractors and for hydraulic operation both in lifting a loaded scoop or fork and propelling the same independently of the tractor.

Still another object is to provide mechanism for the purpose above set forth which is simple in construction, easy to install on standard tractors, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

Gther and subordinate objects, also comprehended by my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, illustrating my improved loading mechanism attached to a tractor with the parts positioned for loading;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the parts positioned for unloading;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the loading mechanism detached;

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3 and drawn to a still larger scale;

Figure 5 is a view in plan of the combination fork and scoop drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 6 is a view in bottom plan of the same;

Figure 7 is a view in plan of the combination fork and scoop with the bottom extension plate in place; 1

Figure 8 isa view partly in vertical section and I partly in side elevation of the latching means for the combination fork and scoop drawn to a larger scale.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved loading mechanism has been shown therein, for the purpose of illustration, as forming an attachment for-a usual type of tractor 1 having front wheels 2, rear traction wheels 3, a rear axle housing 4, a steering wheel 5, a drivers seat 6, and arear platform 1. M

The loading apparatus of my invention comprises, as its basic components, a pair of tubular carrying arms 8 for a combination fork and scoop, presently described, which are disposed upon opposite sides of the tractor I to extend forwardly of said tractor, and endwise slidable forwardly andrearwardly in a pair of relatively shorter, tubular guides 9 also disposed upon opposite sides of the tractor I, both the scoop carrying arms 8 and the tubular guides 9 extending parallel with the sides of said tractor. Rear end heads W on said arms 8 are provided to abut the rear ends of said guides 9 and thereby limit the forward sliding of said arms 8. Depending ears I I one on each of said arms 8, in advance of the tubular guide 9 therefor, limit rearward sliding of said arms 8, and also serve another purpose presently clear. A channel bar I2 is welded as at l2 on a tubular cross member I2", adjacent the front ends of said arms 8 and, together with said member l2 ties the same together for swinging movement in unison as will presently appear.

The tubular guides 9 are mounted at the rear ends thereof for vertical swinging movement to permit corresponding movement of the scoop carrying arms 8. For this purpose, a pair of guide supporting brackets l3 are provided on the rear axle housing 4 at opposite sides of the tractor I. The guide supporting brackets [3 each comprise a pair of spaced apart channel iron cheek plates I4 adapted to rest upon the rear axle housing t in upstanding position with a cross bolt [5 connecting the same above said housing,lfront and rear pairs of angle iron legs I6, I! welded, as at 18, to the sides of said plates 14 and-straddling said housing 4, front and rear channel iron spacing bars I9, 20 spacing the legs I6, I! apart in each pair, and bolts 21 extending through the front and rear legs l6, l1 upon opposite sides of the bracket and below said housing 4, said bolts 21 clamping said legs against said housing to secure the bracket in' place. Rear end ears 22 on the tubular guides 9 depend therefrom between the pairs of cheek plates M with the cross bolts I-5 extending horizontally therethrough, so

that said guides 9 together with said arms 8 are vertically swingable about an axis transverse to the tractor I and above the rear axle housing 4. The front legs $6 of the brackets l3 are longer than the rear legs H to depend well below the rear axle housing 4 for a purpose presently seen.

The combination fork and scoop 23 comprises an open-front scoop forming section 24 with triangular sides 25, a back 26 with a forwardly rolled topedge 21, and preferably formed integrally with the sides 25, a bottom 28 presenting a straight front cutting edge 29, and a bottom iron angle frame bar 30 to which the sides 25, back 26, and bottom 28 are suitab'lysecured :as by welding, not shown. A plurality-of equidistantly spaced angle bars 3!, with front sharpened ends 32, underlie the section 24 and extendiforwardly therefrom to form fork tines on said section, said angle bars 3! being suitably secured to the bottom 28 as by welding 3|. As will be seen, the scoop formingsection 24 and the-angle bars 3| form 'a combination fork and scoop structure particularly adapted for use as a fork for picking up manure and the like,or for use as-a scoop lnpicking up dirt and-similar material. An-extension bottom1plate 28' is provided for the-combination fork and scoop 23 for bolting as at 29" to the angle bars-'32 to enlarge the capacity of said section. The sides '25 of said section 24 converge relatively, rearwardly, and are provided with outer-sideboxings33 in which flat front'ends 34 ofsaidcarrying'arms 8 extend in straddling relation -to said section '24 and are pivoted by pins -35 'so thatthe'com-bination fork and scoop 23 is swingable about'a'horizontal'axis, transverse to the tractor for a purpose presently apparent. The ends -34 are-those of reinforcing bars'socketed 'in'the front ends of said rods 8 suitably secured therein.

Latch means-is providedfor holding the combination fork and scoop 23 against swinging about its horizontal axis of swinging movement comprisinga latchbolt 36 slidable forwardly in a guide bracket 3'! on the cross member 12 -to project the same into 'asocket 38 one. bracket plate "39 bolted, as'at fill, to thebaok 21 of'the scoop forming sec'tion f. An upstanding latch bolt operating lever 42, "on which the latch bolt 3C5 is pivoted, asfat 43,is pivoted, inturn, atlts lower end,-as at A l, to a -compensating link 45 pivoted,'as at 4B, on'a'lugflbn the'cross member I2, said lever-42 being tensioned by acuitably -connected "spring 38 for forward swinging to project th latch bolt 36 into the *socket 38. The described parts of the latch means one located midway between the carrying arms -'8. A pull cabled-9 is suitably connected at its front end, as at 50, to the upperendof an'ups'tarrding latch-tripping lever 5| on "one end of a rock shaft '52 extending along the member 1 2 and journalled in ears 53 on said member 42, the rear end ofsai'd-pull cable lsbe'ing suitablyfixed, as at '54, to a cable pulling hand 'lever' 55 pivoted, as at 53, 011 one guide $5 adjacent the drivers seat 6. Thetripping lever 51 un =cable '49 and hand leveriiilare all onone =side'of'the tractor i, as shown. Acrank arm '5! on the rock shaft 52 is providedfor operating the latchib'o'lt operating .lever ll2 when pull is-zexerted on lthetripping lever by the pull :cable 49. the hand lever 55 to pull 'on the cable '49,=the latch bolt operating lever 42 will'be swungdn oppositionto thespring 48,'to;retract the latch bolt 36 :out of the socket-38 and -unlatch the combination .fork and scoop The gpll'bfifplns .By operating 35 of said combination fork and scoop 23 are so arranged that when said scoop 23 is unlatched, the same will swing downwardly and forwardly, under the influence of gravity, to dump a load therein. The bracket plate 39 is provided with an inclined guide 39' for retracting the latch bolt 36 during swinging of the combination fork and scoop 23 back into normal working position, said guideholding said bolt retracted untilsaid scoop is back into working position and then releasing said bolt for snapping under the urge of the spring 48 into the socket 38.

Hydraulic means is provided for swinging the carrying armsfi upwardly comprising the following. A pair of tubular cylinders 58 are provided upon opposite sides of the tractor 1, below the tubular guides 9, and which extend forwardly from the brackets 13 with rear ends pivoted, by pins-59, between the front pairs of legs i6 below the rear axle housing s, so that said cylinders are vertically .swingable s-and coplanar with said guides 51. npair ofrodzlike ipistons iifi extend out of the'front ends of :said :cylinders 58 with front ends :pivcted lby plus it! :to the ears I l 'of said. carrying arms 3,'so that saidzpistons Bil swing with said cylinders .58 in connection 'with said arms 8. :Suitable hydraulic-lines one of which is shown at ca extend:frormthezrear :ends of the cylinders i58into "one side-of the tractor l to a suitable hydraulic pump, :not .shown, "with which tractors of the type ShOWIli'fliE provided. The hydraulic lines 82 are both :pressure and release lines under -control'ofa rod I53 "and a crank 64 forming part of the tractor equipment for controlling the pump a manner well understood in the art.

Referring now to-the operation of the described mechanism. With the rod G3 operatedto cause release-of pressure in the hydraulic linesB2, the carrying arms 3 for the combination fork and scoop 23 together with'the'tubular guides 9,c'.Y1inders 5S and pistons Ell, swing downwardly, under the influence of gravity, to lower thecombination fork and scoop 23 into loading position while latched, or being latched in the-manner described in the foregoingagainst swinging about itsihoriaontal axis of movement. As best shown in Figure i, when thejpartsare in'such downiswung position, said scoop 23 is arranged for loading by forward travel of the tractor I and in substantially horizontal position. As the "combination fork and scoop 23 pushed forwardly by the tractor, said armstwill-be slid rearwardly'in'the tubular guides "9 until the ears H engage the frontends of said guides, the ,pistons'tllsliding rearwardly in the cylinders 58. Thus, the carrying arms 8 and said scoop 2-3 are adiustedrearwardly of the tractor! for independentmovement forwardly thereof. Now, if thecombination'fork and 50001323 cannot be filled by pushing the same forwardly, without the traction wheels 3 of the tractor l skidding, the tractor I may bestopped and preferably checked, or braked, to hold the same against rearward movement and/.or spinning of the rear traction wheels 3. The rod 63 may now'be operated to cause-the hydraulicp'ressure lines 62 todirect fluid under pressure-into the rear ends of the cylinders -5ll,so as'to move the pistons 66 forwardly. The first result of such movement of the pistons (ill, with the combination fork and scoop 23 held downby the load therein and the weight-of the parts, will be to slide the carrying arms '8 forwardly into the described forward limit of sliding thereof, thus pushing the combinationfork andiscoop 2'3.for-

wardly of the tractor l to complete the load therein. The second result of such forward sliding of the carrying arms 8 is that said arms 8 with the tubular guides 9 will be swung upwardly as shown in Figure 2, to elevate the combination fork and scoop 23 which may then be caused to dump by unlatching the same in the manner already described.

Means are provided for swinging the combination fork and scoop 23 back into normal working position from dumping position during lowering of the same comprising the following. On the side of the tractor l opposite the pull line 49 a pull line 65 is attached at its front end, as at 66, to one rear corner of said scoop 23, above the pivot pins 35, and extended downwardly and rearwardly from said scoop under a pulley block 6'! on the adjacent carrying arm 8. From the pulley 61 said line is extended rearwardly to the upper end of an upstanding lever 68 having its lower end pivoted, as at 69, on the guide 9 of said carrying arm 8 so that said lever is swingable forwardly and rearwardly on said guide 9. A tension line 19 extends rearwardly from an intermediate point on said lever 68 to the upper end of a rigid upright ll upstanding for the bracket l3 on which said guide 9 is pivoted. A coil spring 12 in the line acts together with said line 10 to pull the lever 68 rearwardly on its pivot 69 when the carrying arms 8 and guides 9 swing downwardly to lower said scoop 23. Thus rearward swinging of the lever 68 pulls on the pull line 65 to swing said scoop 23 on the pivot pins 35 back into normal working position in which it is latched with a snap section in the manner already described. The coil spring 12 compensates for independent forward sliding of said scoop 23 relative to the tractor l.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. Loading and dumping mechanism for a tractor comprising a pair of elongated guides extending toward the front of the tractor along opposite sides thereof and pivoted thereon for swinging upwardly and downwardly, a pair of arms carried by said guides for swinging upwardly and downwardly therewith and slidably connected thereto for advance and retraction relative to the tractor, a scoop carried between said arms forwardly of the tractor for raising and lowering by swinging of said arms upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and pivoted to said arms for swinging into dumping and loading positions thereon, a pair of hydraulic cylinders below said guides and arms pivoted to the tractor at opposite sides thereof for swinging upwardly and downwardly and having projecting piston rods pivoted to said arms in advance of the guides and together with said cylinders inclining upwardly and forwardly with respect to said arms when the arms and guides are swung downwardly to thrust upwardly against said arms at an angle thereto in opposition to the load opposing the same and advance said arms and scoop relative to the tractor, co-engaging devices on said guides and arms limiting advance of said arms and scoop relative to the guides so that continuing upward thrust of said piston rods, in the limit of advance of the arms and scoop, will raise said arms to raise said scoop, and tensioned means connected to said tractor and scoop to swing said scoop into loading position when said arms and scoop are lowered and yielding under tension when said arms and scoop are advanced.

2. Loading and dumping mechanism for a tractor comprising a pair of elongated guides extending toward the front of the tractor along opposite sides thereof and pivoted thereon for swinging upwardly and downwardly, a pair of arms carried by said guides for swinging upwardly and downwardly therewith and slidably connected thereto for advance and retraction relative to the tractor, a scoop carried between said arms forwardly of the tractor for raising and lowering by swinging of said arms upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and pivoted to said arms for swinging into dumping and loading positions thereon, a pair of hydraulic cylinders below said guides and arms pivoted to the tractor at opposite sides thereof for swinging upwardly and downwardly and having projecting piston rods pivoted to said arms in advance of the guides and together with said cylinders inclining upwardly and forwardly with respect to said arms when the arms and guides are swung downwardly to thrust upwardly against said arms at an angle thereto in opposition to the load opposing the same and advance said arms and scoop relative to the tractor, co-engaging devices on said gu des and arms l miting advance of said arms and scoop relative to the guides so that continuing upward thrust of said piston rods, in the limit of advance of the scoop and arms will raise said arms, to raise said scoop.

3. The combination of claim 2, said co-engaging devices comprising stops on said arms engaging the guides.

JOSEPH CHAVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,441,700 Middlemiss Jan. 9, 1923 2,295,917 Schwan Sept. 15, 1942 2,396,107 Lessmann Mar. 5, 1946 2,454,461 Knapp Nov. 23, 1948 2,456,491 Collins Dec. 14, 1948 2,472,223 McElhinney et al. June 7, 1949 2,475,498 Haynes July 5, 1949 2,479,048 Machin Aug. 16, 1949 2,501,231 Mefferd Mar. 21, 1950 2,503,577 Borgelt Apr. 11, 1950 2,531,993 Smith Nov. 28, 1950 

